TURA: Political opponents, Congress and NPP, are out on the campaign trail mobilising supporters for D-Day on April 11th promising a plethora of developmental schemes, but there is one issue that continues to remain in the discussion among voters, particularly in the populated non-tribal dominated plains belt region of Garo Hills- the Citizenship Amendment Bill of 2016.
The BJP led central government’s move to push through the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Parliament ignited a tinder box across the north east states as opponents of the CAB stoked fears of possible mass influx from neighbouring Bangladesh should the bill get cleared and passed by lawmakers.
With campaigning in full swing for the first phase of elections, in which Meghalaya’s two Lok Sabha seats, Shillong and Tura happen to fall in, the issue continues to stoke controversy.
While the Congress in Garo Hills had attacked the BJP led central government for its attempt to pass the CAB in parliament, the National People’s Party, which is part of a group of regional parties that are members of the BJP led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), had opposed the bill.
“We were the first to protest and object to the Citizenship Amendment Bill as it would have been against the interest of the north east and the people of our state. We continued to put pressure on the central government and joined hands with other regional parties of the north east to veto the bill,” says Meghalaya Chief Minister and NPP national president Conrad K Sangma at election rallies across the Garo Hills.
But the Congress is not on the same boat with the NPP on the issue.
“It was the Congress that had opposed the CAB from the very beginning and we were prepared to defeat it in the Rajya Sabha which is why the BJP government ultimately did not table it,” claims Congress candidate Mukul Sangma.
The BJP does not have a majority in the Rajya Sabha where the Congress and its allies control the house.
Interestingly, while the battle over CAB was fought in the two houses of Parliament, back home in the Garo Hills, both the Congress and the NPP are claiming one-upmanship.
“Where was the Congress in Meghalaya and Mukul Sangma when the issue was burning? Why were they silent? We were the first to raise the issue and continued to mobilise support of other regional parties to put pressure on the central government. The Congress was nowhere in the picture,” claims Conrad Sangma.
At an election meeting in South Garo Hills this week, the chief minister alleged that the reason behind the Congress silence was because of their alleged tacit support for the same bill.
“Is it not a fact that a Congress MP wrote to the Prime minister giving support for passage of the bill? Why have the Congress party not mentioned this,” alleged the NPP chief.
The Congress dismisses the NPP charges claiming that had it not been for the Congress numbers in Rajya Sabha the BJP would have passed the CAB bill.
“It is there for everyone to see who created and nurtured the NPP from the beginning. And isn’t the NPP a part of the BJP led alliance NEDA in the north east?” asks Mukul Sangma during his election speeches.
With either party lobbing charges of collision on the CAB issue, it remains to be seen whether the public in Garo Hills will buy the argument while heading to the polling station thirteen days from now.